Two people were killed in separate accidents on Interstate 80 near Park City on Friday night, according to Utah Highway Patrol officials.
The first incident happened around 5:30 p.m. on eastbound I-80 near mile marker 142, a few miles before the Kimball Junction exit.
Two SUVs slowed down to accommodate heavy traffic in the area, but the driver of a motorcycle behind the vehicles was unable to slow down in time. He then crashed into the back of the first SUV before bouncing onto the top of the second, said a UHP spokesperson.
The motorcyclist was transported to the University of Utah Hospital by ambulance, but medical personnel declared the man deceased during the drive into the Salt Lake Valley.
Law enforcement officials said they’re still working on identification and notifying the man’s next of kin, but they confirmed he was from Utah.
The second accident happened only a few hours later — just before midnight — on eastbound I-80 near mile marker 145 outside of Kimball Junction.
The driver of a vehicle pulled onto the shoulder of the interstate and tried to enter a construction zone where Utah Department of Transportation employees were working on routine road maintenance, according to a UHP spokesperson.
A pickup truck then struck the man as he attempted to cross the interstate on foot. First responders initiated CPR and lifesaving measures on scene before transporting him to the University of Utah Hospital by ambulance, but UHP officials said he died before reaching the medical facility.
The man, a 28-year-old from West Jordan, had other occupants in the car who said he intended to speak to the construction workers. A UHP spokesperson said the agency suspects the man was intoxicated at the time of the accident, but the investigation is ongoing and impairment has not yet been confirmed as a contributing factor.